May 22, 2007

Koehnlein Named First-Team All-League, Six Others Earn Honors

    Chicago -- Youngstown State sophomore third baseman John Koehnlein was named First-Team All-Horizon League to highlight seven Penguin players who earned postseason recognition by the league’s coaches.

    In addition to Koehnlein, junior designated hitter Erich Diedrich and junior utility player Josh Page earned second-team accolades. Lee Bainbridge, Tom Clayton, Ryan Dunlap and Anthony Munoz were named the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.

    The seven honorees is the most ever for YSU, topping five award winners in 2003.

    Koehnlein, a native of Toronto, Ohio, leads the Horizon League in batting average at .425, and he has been ranked as high as seventh in the nation in hitting this season. His 97 hits has already shattered YSU’s previous single season record of 80, and his current 25-game hitting streak is the longest in school history. He has had 26 multi-hit games, including a school-record tying five-hit performance against Butler on April 28. Koehnlein has also been held hitless only four times this season and has hit safely in 54 of the past 58 games dating back to last year. He earned second-team and all-newcomer honors as a freshman last year.
    Diedrich (Bay Village, Ohio) finished among the Horizon League’s top power hitters, ranking third in home runs (six), sixth in slugging (.529) and seventh in RBIs (37). He is 10 RBIs shy of the YSU’s career record for RBIs, and he is five shy of the home runs record. His 19-game hitting streak earlier in the season is also the sixth-longest in school history.

    Page (Plain City, Ohio) has brought his average up to .322 overall and .339 against Horizon League opponents. He has started 23 games at second base and 19 at shortstop, and he has turned 30 double plays and one triple play. Earlier this month he was named Second-Team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District for the second straight season.

    Bainbridge (Steubenville, Ohio) made his first appearance at third base on April 18 and has come on to hit .305 with three home runs, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs. He and Clayton are two of only three freshmen in the Horizon League to bat above .300 for the season.

    Clayton (Poland, Ohio) is batting .303 overall in 45 starts as an outfielder and first baseman this season. His three home runs is tied for third-most on the team with Bainbridge, and his 17 is the most ever by a freshman in YSU history.

    Dunlap (Newark, Ohio) has split time in the outfield and pitcher’s mound this season. At the plate he hit .245 in 22 games, and he did not allow a run in his first 7 2/3 innings on the mound.

    Munoz (Fostoria, Ohio) is a middle infielder who has started 39 games and appeared in 44. He has turned 25 double plays, and his .359 batting average with runners in scoring position ranks second-best on the team.